Aggrieved Commissioner Demands Explanation, Apology From State FA over Exclusion

Aggrieved Commissioner demands explanation, apology from state FA over exclusion By Femi Bolaji One of the oldest match commissioner in Nasarawa state Haliru Ibrahim is demanding explanation from Nasarawa state Football Association over his exclusion from the list of match commissioners that attended the 2017/2018 premier league match commissioners seminar on January 9, 2018. He is also demanding an apology from the top echelon of the state Football Association (FA) for the embarrassment and humiliation he witnessed at the venue of the seminar before leaving the venue unceremoniously. Mr Haliru Ibrahim has also petitioned the state FA through a letter dated January 9,2018 and sent to the National secretariat of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) demanding investigation into what he referred to as ‘anomaly'. This was contained in the copy of the letter made available to newsmen in Lafia, capital of Nasarawa state signed by Haliru Ibrahim and also copied to the office of the chairman, Match Commissioners' Appointment Committee of the NFF, Commissioner, Nasarawa state ministry of Youth and Sports and the Chairman,Nasarawa state FA. According to the letter, the match commissioner is requesting that Justice be meted on the issue to prevent further ‘arbitrariness and personalization' of matters relating to football that may breed discord. The letter in part reads that “ sometime in December 2017,the Nasarawa state FA secretariat called to inform me that the seminar for the new season is slated for 9/01/2018 and I should pay through their office in Lafia, the training fees of N35,000.00. This I did as per the attached copy of receipt of payment dated 21/12/2017. ”About a week later, they returned my money on the explanation that they have been instructed to return our payments as the payment will be done at the venue of the training in Abuja. On 8/01/2018 they called me that payment can be done at the state level which I went ahead and paid the money again the second time in Lafia. “ In the course of the program, the state FA secretary called me and returned my money to me that I was not to be at the seminar without any explanation. On further inquiries and insistence from me, he disclosed that it is at the instruction of the Nasarawa state FA chairman…”, he added. He also appealed for an interface between him and the state FA to the NFF and the state ministry of youths and sports to resolve amicably the issue surrounding his exclusion from the list of match commissioners that attended the 2017/2018 season match commissioners' seminar for the premier league.